The Taste Of Ink
by GatesVengeance
Summary: Sequel to 'I Could Be The One'. After their rendezvous, Cody can't stop thinking about Randy and Randy can't stop thinking about Cody. But both men soon find out that it's not just as easy as being together. Slash, M/M, WIP
1. Chapter 1

**The Taste Of Ink:**

**Rating: **M for language, sexual themes.

**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John

**Summary: **Sequel to _'I Could Be The One'_. After their rendezvous, Cody can't stop thinking about Randy and Randy can't stop thinking about Cody. But both men soon find out that it's not just as easy as being together.

**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

**Chapter 1:**

Cody Rhodes walked into the small bar that was packed to the brim with his co-workers, the noise travelling from out of the small bar to the street. It was the last Raw before Wrestlemania and it was a tradition for the company to buy out a local bar for the night, which gave the superstars a chance to relax and be themselves in public situations they normally couldn't be. He glanced around the small area at his fellow wrestlers, most of whom were in various states of drunkenness, some were significantly worse off than others. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of his co-workers he was particularly close to wave at him and gesture him over.

He closed the relatively small gap between himself and the former WWE champion, feeling the older man's tattooed arms wrap around him and felt a soft kiss to the side of the head once he was close enough, a small smile growing on his lips. "Hey babe." The older man smiled at him.

"Hey Phil." Cody smiled, ignoring the stares that were burning into the back of his head as he leant into the embrace of the self-proclaimed 'best in the world'.

"I got you a drink." Phil beamed, dropping his arms for a moment as he reached around behind him and handed Cody a small glass that looked like it contained his favourite drink; Jack Daniel's and coke.

Cody took a sip and smiled even larger; it was his favourite. "You know me too well. Thank you."

Phil smiled again at him, hand reaching down to squeeze Cody's soft hand, turning back around to continue the conversation he was having with his Wrestlemania opponent before his on-again, off-again boyfriend had entered the small establishment. Cody and Phil, or CM Punk as was his wrestling name, had been somewhat of an item since just before the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view of last year, an unexpected coupling since the two had barely spoken a word to each other until their first night together; a night that was nothing short of amazing and left the two men desperately wanting more of each other. Although their chemistry was hard to deny, they had never made the leap from friends with benefits to relationship and tended to find themselves in the beds with others.

This is exactly what had happened last week when Cody found himself in his former mentor's locker room, seducing him and bending over and taking all that the older man had to offer. The rendezvous had left a lasting impression on Cody, his mind continually drifting back to that moment of passion, desperately wanting a repeated session sooner rather than later, even hours later when he found himself in the exact same position with Phil, all he could do was picture Randy. He looked back at Phil, who was too engrossed in his conversation with his opponent, The Undertaker, to even look at him, something that should have upset him more. He lifted the small glass that contained his alcoholic drink and took another sip, trying to somewhat numb the pain of being ignored like that.

He glanced around the bar once more, taking more notice of exactly _who_ was in the bar and _what_ they were doing. His baby blue eyes were immediately drawn to a booth that was right over in the far corner, a booth that unfortunately contained his ex-boyfriend and his current fling. He felt a hard stab of jealousy as he looked over at Ted and Mike, who were all over each other. It had been a while since he and Ted had broken up, but it was certainly not enough time to get over who he thought would be the love of his life and the fact that he was still with Mike only hurt his heart more.

"Cody?" He heard Phil's voice call out loudly and turned back around to look at the older man, whose eyebrows were furrowed with concerned. "What are you looking at?" He asked, eyes tracing what he believed what Cody's eyes were lingering on, a realization occurring when he saw that Cody's line of sight landed on Ted. "We can go if you want to."

Cody's eyes went wide and he shook his head. "No, no, it's okay." He said quickly. "You stay with Mark and I'll go hang with Randy for a bit."

"Okay." Phil smiled, leaning up and pressing his and Cody's lips together in a soft, delicate kiss that not many people would expect from the tattooed, straight edge superstar.

Cody weaved his way through the mass of people and crowded tables to one almost on the other side of the bar, where he saw the Viper sitting by himself, beer in one hand and cell phone in the other. He approached the small table and took a seat. "Hey man!" He greeted cheerfully, smiling as Randy looked up at him. "Did you get my birthday text?"

"Yeah I did thanks." Randy smiled softly, locking the screen on his iPhone and letting it drop on the table with a soft thud.

"Have you had a good birthday?" Cody asked, taking a sip from his glass.

"It's been pretty lousy actually." Randy groaned. There was a moment where there was silence before the older man broke it. "How long have you been with Phil?"

Cody felt his heart beat speed up at the question. "We're not really together, more friends with benefits."

Randy nodded. "But how long?"

"Um, since about Hell in a Cell last year." Cody answered, Randy's mood making him nervous.

"Does he know we fucked last week?" Randy asked bluntly, taking Cody by surprise.

"We're not exclusive so it's none of his business what we did last week." Cody said sharply. "Why does it matter to you?"

Randy shrugged. "I thought we had a connection, is all."

Cody sighed. "Randy-"

"It's a Legacy reunion!" Cody didn't even need to turn to know whose voice that was, his head only turning when he felt an arm around his shoulders, his eyes wide as he saw Ted grinning at me. "Hey Cody-baby." He said in a sing-song voice.

Cody pulled Ted's large arm off of him. "Don't touch me."

"Don't act like you don't want me to." Ted grinned, leaning in close to Cody's ear. "There are things that I can do much better than Punk ever could." He said only loud enough for Cody to hear.

Cody rolled his eyes, pushing the larger man away from him. "What do you want Ted?"

"You." Ted smirked in the way that only months ago used to drive Cody wild. "I want you to worship my body the way you used to."

"Well you blew that chance when we broke up." Cody snapped, his patience running thin.

"C'mon baby-boy, just one more time." Ted beamed at him.

"No." Cody snapped.

"C'monnnnn." Ted's grin grew larger.

"No." Cody snapped again.

"Oh, c'mon Cody, don't be like that." Ted pushed, wrapping his arm around the younger man's shoulders once again, only to have it moved away instantly by a pair of unfamiliar hands. His eyes narrowed when he saw it was Punk. "What do _you_ want?"

"I kindly ask you to _not_ put your hands on my boyfriend." Phil snapped. "And no means no DiBiase."

Ted scoffed and walked away, mumbling to himself.

"Did you wanna go, babe?" Phil asked him, looking up and seeing Randy still sitting there quietly. "Oh, hey man. Happy Birthday!" He grinned, reaching across and shaking the Viper's hand.

"Thanks." Randy answered quietly.

"Yeah, if you're finished talking to Mark we can go." Cody said quietly.

Phil had opened his mouth to speak before the loud, booming voice of Paul Levesque, better known as Triple H, echoed across the room. "Can I have all the Superstars involved in the three main events up the front please?"

"After." Phil said quietly as he made his way to the front of the bar.

Cody stood up and looked over to see the six men that were the three headline acts at Wrestlemania, standing side by side. His eyes were instantly drawn to John Cena, who looked as though he was looking at him, only to be looking behind him, directly at Randy, who was hunched over his chair, playing with his phone. "Randy!" He hissed. "Stand up."

Randy groaned and stood up, a bright red flush crossing his cheeks as he made eye contact with his ex-lover of many years. The way that their eyes connected made the same nervous flutter in his stomach from the first moment they met was still there, and he was sure it would never leave. He watched as the slightly older man smirked ever so slightly at him. He knew it was obvious to John that he was still madly in love with him; hell the blindest person in the world would be able to see that. He let out an inward sigh as their eyes stared into each other's, a connection that seemed like it wouldn't waver.

"I just want to say a huge thank you to our three main events at this year's Wrestlemania." Paul started, raising his glass slightly. "And I ask you all to raise your glasses in a toast to having the best Wrestlemania yet!"

A collectively loud "Cheers!" echoed throughout the small bar before the loud clinking of glass on glass rang through the area. After a moment, the loud chatter began again and the patrons all took their seats back down, Randy and Cody resuming their own seats.

Randy looked up as he saw his larger, muscular ex and Cenation leader heading right towards him. He took in an audible gulp as the charismatic man took a seat right next to him, much to the shock and dismay of Cody. The Viper took a deep breath as he looked at the attractive man next to him. "Hey John." He said cautiously.

"Hey!" John said cheerfully. He turned his attention to Cody, who was still watching in shock. "Hey twinky, can you give us a minute please?"

Randy couldn't help but laugh at the name he'd used. It was so John. Cody left almost immediately.

"Happy Birthday!" John exclaimed almost theatrically, making Randy's eyes bulge in shock.

"Uh, thanks man." Randy replied awkwardly. "What are you doing over here? Surely there are more interesting people to talk to."

"But it's none of their birthdays." John beamed. "And I got you a drink." He added, pulling another glass of beer from seemingly out of nowhere and handing it to the younger man. "Just have one drink with me, like we used to."

"John, stop." Randy groaned. "I can't fuckin' do this, okay? One drink is _always_ going to lead to more and more and then we're gonna end up in bed together."

John's eyebrow rose quizzically. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

"John, you don't want what I want and it's not fair to give me false hope like this." Randy sighed. "Just take your beer and go."

"I'm not taking it and I'm not going." John said sharply. "Just have one drink with me for your birthday. Please?"

"Alright." Randy said quietly, watching as John grinned back at him. "But only one."

John lifted his glass and clinked their two glasses together, an identical grin spreading across each of their lips. Randy smiled an honest smile for the first time in a long time.

From across the bar, Cody was watching the scene unfold in font of him. Phil had turned his attentions on talking to Paul, who he was in deep conversation with, once again ignoring Cody. He felt his mouth drop open as he saw the look that John and Randy exchanged. Even from across the bar, Cody could see the twinkle in both of the other men's eyes as they looked at each other, the way that they smiled at each other, the way they sat so closely together.

A distinct pang of jealousy washed over Cody's entire body, the sensation pulled at his heart strings more than seeing Ted with Mike. He genuinely could not stop thinking about Randy in every aspect, the deep connection that they shared in the Viper's locker room left an invisible scar that would not leave him any time soon and only made him want the older man to heal him, sinking his teeth in and letting his venom into Cody's heart. The words that Randy had spoke to him earlier _"I thought we had a connection, is all"_ repeating like a mantra in his head as well as the very obvious look of hurt on his former mentor's face, their heartache almost identical.

He felt a soft squeeze on his hand and looked down to see Phil's tattooed hand entwined with his own, although the older man was still very much involved in his conversation with Paul. He inwardly sighed; he wanted nothing more than to push Phil away, push him so far away that he wouldn't have to worry about hurting the older man. But now Phil had publicly called him his _boyfriend_, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He knew that when they finally left this bar, they would go back to their shared hotel room and they would have the talk and as much as he wanted to say 'no, I don't want a relationship with you', he knew he'd have to pretend to be all for it. He'd have to _pretend_ that the sex they have afterwards was the best he'd ever had, when it pales completely in comparison to Randy. He'd have to _pretend_ that he wanted to share a bed with Phil, when his heart wanted him to share with Randy. And worst of all, he'd have to _pretend_ to love a man he truly didn't and might not ever.

"You ready to go now babe?" Phil asked; his conversation with one of the best world champions now over.

Cody nodded, he was too afraid to speak for fear that his mouth would vomit out the words that he held so closely guarded to his chest. He felt the older man pull him through the mass of people, their hands still entwined perfectly like they should have always been like that as they headed towards the door. He chanced one glance back at his former mentor, who was deep in conversation with his ex, a large smile on his face as the pair joked and laughed. The sight tugged at his heart strings once more.

He felt his hand drop as they walked out into the cold of the night and towards Phil's rental car. Tonight was going to be a long, tiring night.

TBC.

**A/N:** thanks for reading and reviewing. Let me know what you all think and if I should continue this or not. Thanks again :) GatesVengeance x


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

**Rating: **M for language, sexual themes.

**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John

**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

There was a loud shrill ringing that echoed throughout the small hotel room that awoke Randy the following morning. He groaned as he rolled over to his right and pushed the button to stop the annoying noise. It was when he sat up and looked to his left when he noticed the other man that was lying on his side, facing away from Randy. He took a deep breath, hoping he didn't wake the older man, the distinct shoulders and back of his head made it _very_ obvious as to _whom _it was. He groaned inwardly as he tried to piece together the events of last night that could possibly lead to this development.

He watched as the man, his ex, rolled onto his back and opened his ever enchanting blue eyes, his mouth curling into a wide grin. "Mornin'." He beamed, reaching out a hand to grab at Randy's naked thigh, only to have it swatted away. "You weren't resisting me last night."

Randy groaned, throwing the covers that were previously covering his toned body off of himself before placing both feet onto the carpet below him. He stood up and stretched, not concerned in the slightest about his one person crowd as he pushed his long limbs above his head. He felt a harsh stab of pain shoot down his spine, clearly indicating his worst fears. "Ouch." He mumbled as he started walking around the bed and to the bathroom, feeling the eyes of the older man on him the whole time.

"I'm sure you can deduce what happened last night." John drawled and Randy snapped his head to the side to see the other man smirking at him. He shot him the best Viper glare he could, only to receive a laugh in response. "You kept telling me _'harder Johnny, pleaaassseee'_." He grinned. "So you only have yourself to blame for the pain."

Randy merely glared. "Has anyone ever told you how annoying you actually are?"

"I've been told I am a delight." John grinned, pulling the covers off of his body and stepping onto the carpet, closing the gap between himself and his ex. "Hey, how about an encore of last night? I'm ready." He said, wrapping a hand around his morning erection, giving it a slight tug.

Randy's face contorted into one of almost disgust. "No, I don't think so. I actually think it's time for you to leave."

John pouted slightly. "I bet if I was Cody, you wouldn't ask me to leave."

"What do you mean by that?" Randy snapped.

"You screamed _his_ name when you came last night." John said, barely able to wipe the shit eating grin off his face. Randy didn't respond. "How long have you liked him for?"

"Who said I did?" Randy asked sharply, although his face flushed fifty shades redder. "And besides, we are broken up so it's not really any of your damn business."

"We don't have to be broken up." John said quietly.

Randy's heart started to beat faster by those few words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we don't have to be broken up." John said simply. "Last night reminded me that I was stupid to pull the plug on us. I want _us_ back Randy."

Randy didn't speak for a few moments, almost unsure of what to say and there wasn't much that stopped the Viper from talking. He had dreamed of this moment for so long now, dreamed of being able to wake back up in the older man's arms once more but the situation that now presented itself to him didn't make him inclined at all to jump right back to John. "I don't know if that is such a good idea John." He finally said.

"Why not? You'll never get Cody." John said matter-of-factly, a glare being thrown his way. "Not with the way Punk has him wrapped around his finger.

Randy shot him an incredulous look. "That's nice." He paused momentarily. "I think it's time you left."

"Are you at least going to think about what I said? About us?" John almost pleaded.

Randy smirked. There was something that could never get old about seeing the great John Cena begging for something. He sighed softly. "You can't give me what I need John, at least not anymore."

John nodded sadly. "Just think about it, please."

"I'm going to have a shower. I suggest you leave, unless you want me to beat your fat ass until you do." Randy grinned, taking the few steps into the pristine white hotel bathroom and slamming the door shut, locking it mere seconds after it closed. He waited until he heard the other door close before he turned on the water and stepped into the small cubicle.

He smiled as he felt the hot water roll over his body, the temperature soothing his aching muscles as he picked up his bottle of body wash, squirting some onto his loofa before rubbing it over each and every muscle not missing any part of his toned body. He rinsed the chocolate scented body wash off before picking up his shampoo and rubbing the tiniest amount into his scalp, a soft groan escaping his lips as he dug his fingers into his scalp.

After he'd rinsed the shampoo off his shaven head he stopped just for a moment, a barrage of thoughts running through his mind as he tried to process everything that was going on. To say he was surprised to wake up with John next to him would be a lie. He knew he probably reeked of desperation and that was why his ex-boyfriend had seduced him in the first place. He let out another frustrated sigh as he tried to process what John had said to him. He was definitely surprised when the older man had thrown a reunion for the two of them into the mix and while it _was_ something he often thought about, it was something he didn't really want.

His thought turned to Cody, a pang of jealousy in his heart as he thought of the attractive younger man. Cody had told him that he and Phil were only 'friends with benefits', only having that theory thrown right back in his face when he stepped in to stop Ted's advances. Although whether that was more to shoo the son of the Million Dollar Man away, Randy wasn't sure. But he certainly wasn't blind and the few moments he spent in the company of Cody and Phil made John's words ring true.

He realized that he probably was wasting his time pursuing Cody, knowing that the younger man was probably much more into Phil than he let on. But he still couldn't stop thinking about the night they spent together, the chemistry that they shared was so unlike what he and John shared and he had been with the older man for almost ten years. He groaned again as he reluctantly shut off the water, stepping out of the small cubicle and grabbing one of the white, fluffy towels that was hanging on the towel rack.

He dried himself off with the towel first before wrapping it around his svelte waist, unlocking the door and stepping back into his room, thankful that John had actually left. He walked over to his bedside table and picked up his phone, unlocking it to see if he had any notifications. His heart started beating faster when he saw he had three missed calls from his wife, an alarming sight as the woman never rang unless it was an emergency. He took a deep breath, holding the device up against his ear, hearing the other end of the line ring twice before it was answered by the woman.

"Where are you?" Sam's voice snapped down the phone.

"Washington. At the hotel." Randy said carefully, a little confused. "What's wrong Sam?"

"What's wrong?!" She balked. "I've just had quite possibly the _worst_ phone call I've ever had in my entire life from your best pal John Cena."

Randy stopped breathing for more than a second as all his fears started to become realized. "What did he say?"

"He told me a _very_ interesting story about how you spent your birthday Randal." She snapped harshly down the line. He knew he was in trouble now. "I have never been more fucking humiliated in my entire life! How could you do that to me Randal? How could you do that to _our family_?"

Randy took a deep breath in. "Look-"

"I don't care _what_ your damn excuse is Randal." Sam cut in. "You need to get home now."

"I can't. I have to tape Smack Down tonight." Randy answered, trying so hard to not sound pathetic, although he knew he was failing. "It's not what you think!" He added in quickly, realising after that it was probably the dumbest thing he could say.

"You actually think I'm going to believe that what John said isn't true?" Sam's voice yelled down the phone. "He seemed pretty damn sure it happened."

"Why are you not taking my word over his? I am your husband!" Randy tried to protest as he paced his hotel room.

"Not for much longer." Sam said sharply. "Happy fucking birthday Randy; I want a divorce." She added before hanging up the phone.

Randy groaned loudly, throwing the electronic device onto his bed. He moved over to his sports bag that lay on the ground, rifling through the smallish black bag, digging out a pair of shorts, underpants, and a shirt, pulling them all on quickly. He reached down and pulled on his trainers before putting his wallet, phone and room card into the pocket of his shorts and heading out the door. He needed to have a word with the soon-to-be WWE champion.

He walked down the narrow hallway and went straight for the lift, thankful that there was no one else in as he rode it down to the bottom floor, exiting it quickly before heading towards where he knew the gym would be. He hesitated for a moment, checking that the man he was seeking was actually in there. His eyes narrowed as he saw he was.

He pulled the glass door open and stormed across the small area, ignoring the strange looks he received from his co-workers. He could see Cena in the corner lifting weights while Punk spotted him, a strange look of admiration on his face, but Randy didn't notice as he headed straight for the larger, older man. He closed the small distance and smirked as he saw the Cenation leader's blue eyes look up at him.

John put the weights back the way they were and stood up, closing the gap between himself and the Viper. "I knew you couldn't resist me." He grinned.

The grin only incensed Randy more, all his rage overpowering him as he lifted his fist and threw a hard punch that hit the older man on his jaw. "That's for ruining my marriage, asshole!" He yelled, a smirk gracing his attractive face as he watched John stumble back a few steps.

He gearing up for another punch, more than ready to beat the living hell out of him, but then he felt someone grab him around his middle and drag him out of the gym. He didn't even have to look down to know who was pulling him out of the small area. "What the hell was that Orton?" He finally looked up at the harsh voice of his former mentor Paul Levesque, better known as Triple H.

Randy didn't say anything at first as Paul directed him towards the lift, a firm grip around his wrist as he was all but thrown into the small space. Paul watched him carefully, knowing that there was definitely something up with the younger man, although the younger man's rage filled words did explain it somewhat but not with all the details. The lift dinged when they reached Paul's floor and the pair silently walked down the hallway, stopping at the room right down the end. He looked back and saw Randy was dawdling slightly, reaching his long arm out, he grabbed onto the Viper's wrist and pushed him into the room.

Paul let the door slam behind him as he watched Randy carefully. "Now, what the hell was that in the gym?"

"He ruined my marriage." Randy said quietly, moving to take a seat on the couch in the room.

"I guessed that from your words." Paul said calmly, moving to sit on the arm chair near the leather couch. "How did he ruin your marriage?" He asked gently, watching as Randy shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I'm not going to tell anyone Randy."

Randy took a deep breath. Coming out to the future boss was hard enough, let alone telling him that he used to be in a long term relationship with the company's golden boy was a whole other thing. "He told Sam about me and him."

Paul blinked, he was sure he hadn't heard that right. "You and Cena? What _about_ you and Cena?" He asked, although his gut knew the answer.

"John and I used to be in a relationship that ended last year but we had slept together last night." Randy let out the breath he was holding. He looked at his former mentor as Paul's eyes went huge. "He told her we fucked and now she wants a divorce." He said quietly.

Paul took in a deep breath of his own. "Oh man, you and Cena." He said more to himself. "How long were you with him?"

"Since OVW." Randy said simply, dropping his gaze from the cerebral assassin's.

"Fucks sake." Paul mumbled. "In all honesty, you ruined your own marriage Randy." He said calmly ignoring the cold look he received off the younger man. "I don't have any advice for you at all. You can maybe try to salvage it but I know Sam and she won't take this."

Randy groaned. "I don't want to lose her Paul. I love her." He said softly. "What the fuck am I going to do?" He asked, dropping his head into his hands.

"You focus on your match tonight and worry about this shit when you're on the plane home." Paul said simply. He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Randy's shoulder. "Everything happens for a reason Randy."

Randy opened his mouth to respond before he heard three sharp knocks on the Chief Operating Officer's door. Paul stood up and walked over to the door, letting out an expletive as the man on the other side of the door barged his way through. Randy looked up and groaned as his saw the man he'd just punched in the face standing next to the large bed. Paul looked between the two men and the glare they shared and managed to intercept the older man before he lunged at Randy.

"Calm the fuck down Cena!" Paul yelled, pushing him back slightly and standing between the two men. "You two need to sort this out and sort it out now! I will not let either of you two sabotage the biggest night of the year with this drama!"

Randy stood up and moved closer to the two. "You ruined my marriage! Why the fuck would you ring _my wife_ and just casually tell her you had sex with me?!"

"You refused me because you're blindly in love with baby Rhodes! If I can't have you, then no one will." John answered simply.

"How old are you? Fourteen?" Randy snapped. "You don't just say shit like that! We kept us secret for a reason you idiot!" He snapped. "But congratulations for ruining your last chance of us getting back together!"

"Okay, okay, stop!" Paul said calmly, trying to keep the peace. "Did you two break up because of Cody?"

"No." Randy answered. "I never found out why."

"We broke up because I found someone that could suck my dick better, could take my dick better. Someone who wouldn't turn into a whiny little bitch." John snarled eyes narrowed.

"Who?" Randy yelled; his blood felt like it was boiling. All those years wasted for _this_. "Who is it? How long for?"

"Some say he's the best in the world. I agree." John said smugly. "As to how long well, that doesn't really concern you."

"John, get out." Paul snapped. He had been watching Randy carefully and knew that the man was close to an explosion. He turned to see John with a smile on his face. "I mean it, get the fuck out now." He glared, watching as the man turned and walked over to the door, storming out and slamming it shut as he left. He turned his attention back to the younger man, who had dropped back on the couch, broad shoulders slumping. "Randy." He said softly, closing the distance between them and wrapping an almost protective arm around his friend.

"Ten years Paul." Randy said quietly. "Ten _fucking_ years spent wasting my time falling head over heels in love with him and for what? _Nothing. _He's ruined my marriage after he ruined our relationship." He said, head dropping back down, not wanting the older man to see him cry. "I can't fucking handle this."

"Come on Orton, there are better out there than Super-Cena." Paul tried to say comfortingly. "Focus on tonight and focus on the Shield for Sunday. All of this emotion can wait."

Randy lifted his head and looked at the older man. He'd always been nothing but supportive of Randy and Randy never had to worry about confiding in the older man with the knowledge that he would never judge him for what he said. "You're too good a friend to me." He said quietly.

Paul merely smiled, appreciating the sentiment as he wrapped his arms around the younger man, pulling him in for a hug.

TBC.

**A/N: **sorry about the delay, I had problems with my computer but I hope this makes amends. Thank you for reading and reviewing. GatesVengeance x


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

**Rating: **M for language, sexual themes.

**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John

**Summary: **Sequel to _'I Could Be The One'_. After their rendezvous, Cody can't stop thinking about Randy and Randy can't stop thinking about Cody. But both men soon find out that it's not just as easy as being together.

**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

Randy was just stepping out of his bathroom after quickly brushing his teeth when he heard three sharp knocks on his hotel room door. He glanced at the small black alarm clock on the pine bedside table and creased his brow slightly. It was almost two in the afternoon and he was just about to head out of the door and head to the arena when the person on the other side knocked. He closed the short distance to the door and reached his hand up to grab the brass knob, all the while wondering who was knocking on his door.

He opened the door and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god it's just you Cody."

Cody laughed as he walked into his friend's hotel room. "I don't know _how_ I should feel about that comment."

Randy rolled his eyes, stepping away and letting the door close as he headed back towards his bed. "I'm just glad you're not some Super-Hero wannabe, is all."

Cody's lips curled into a devilish smirk. "Oh, I heard all about your little scuffle with Super Cena this morning."

Randy mumbled a distracted "Who told you?" before realizing just how dumb the question was as he finished packing his back pack he was taking to the arena.

"Well I do share a bed with one of the front row spectators." Cody laughed, although the laughter dispelled quickly when he saw the way Randy visibly tensed at his words. "What was _that_ about?"

Randy's head shot up and looked cautiously at the younger man. "Nothing." He tried to say casually, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal when he was sure that Cody knew otherwise. He thought for a moment if he should tell Cody about John's revelation earlier this morning, his mind waging a war over what was right and what was wrong. And while John never specifically said that it was Punk he had been sleeping with, the only other self-proclaimed _'best in the world'_ that still wrestled was Chris Jericho and Randy would find it very hard to believe that those two were fucking. He'd even believe that pigs would fly before that day. "How serious are you and Punk?" He asked quietly, still mentally debating on whether or not he should tell the younger man what he knew.

"You must be losing your memory in your old age Randy because I told you what the deal with Phil and I was last night." Cody said sharply, his eyebrow quirking up slightly. "Do you have some sort of problem with him now?"

"No, of course not." Randy lied blatantly. "I just thought that after your Prince Charming saved you from Teddy-bear-"

"Don't call him that." Cody snapped.

"-that you two might be a little more serious now." Randy finished with a somewhat sad smile.

Cody felt a strange pull in the pit of his stomach at the look on his friend's face. After last night, he was sure that Phil would want to have the 'boyfriend' talk with him and was very surprised when the older man hadn't, instead asking him if he liked the open arrangement that they had. It almost made him feel pathetic at how expectant he had been. "Phil is great and all, I mean, we have _loads_ of fun together" he started, a small smile pulling at his full lips. "But I don't think a relationship is going to be on the cards for a long time especially since we're still messing around with other people."

Randy nodded. "Do you know who else he has been with?"

"No and he doesn't know mine." Cody answered quickly, a strange look crossing his attractive face. "I don't think I would ever want to know either."

Randy glanced up at the clock and picked up his back pack, his stomach was still churning at the news John had told him this morning as his mind continued debating whether to tell his friend or not. "We should probably get going if we want to skip the fan rush. Do you want a ride to the arena?"

"Sure." Cody grinned and bent down to pick up his own back pack as he followed the older man out of his room and down the long hotel corridor. "It'll be like the good old Legacy days minus the annoying rich boy."

Randy laughed a genuine laugh for the first time in a while. "What happened with you two anyway?" He asked as they entered the elevator. He felt bad when saw Cody look a little uncomfortable. "I feel like the world's biggest jackass for not being there for you, for not even knowing _why_ one of my best friends is so upset." Cody still didn't speak. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He pressed, still not hearing any words from the other man, only hearing a soft sigh. "I found out this morning that my own relationship ended because John found someone better."

Cody's blue eyes burst wide open and looked like they could almost bulge out of his sockets at those words. "What?! Do you know who?!"

Randy felt very uncomfortable at the words, shifting his back pack on his shoulder. "It doesn't matter." He shrugged, trying to hide the sadness. He didn't know how bad he was failing.

Cody watched the older man carefully. It hurt him to see the way that his former mentor's shoulders slumped slightly and not because they were struggling under his back pack. Or the way his eyes drooped at his own words as they left the lift. Cody knew what he had to do. "Ted did the same thing to me." He said quietly. "I didn't notice at the time but when I think back to how it used to be, how _we_ used to be, the signs are all there. Maybe if I hadn't been planning our wedding, I would have noticed when Ted left to go hang out with Mike for hours at a time and maybe I would have noticed Ted's lack of sex drive. Although I had stupidly put that down to his depression over lack of television time." He let out a long, deep breath. "It's so sad that I had all these excuses for who I thought was a good guy when he was anything but."

"You loved him." Randy spoke so quietly that Cody almost didn't hear him.

"He was my everything Ran. Everything." Cody replied honestly. "And when your everything leaves you for another man, you become nothing, you feel like nothing. I still feel so empty sometimes when I think about it."

Randy nodded sympathetically; he knew that feeling all too well. "You don't have to feel that way, you know."

"I know. But Phil doesn't want to give me what I so desperately need." Cody said, not noticing the look on Randy's face as they reached the rental car.

"I wasn't talking about Phil." Randy responded as he unlocked the door to his rental car, sliding into the driver's seat.

"Randy." Cody let out a groan as he slid into the passenger seat. "What happened between us was to help you, not suggest a relationship. We're both still young; we don't need to be tied down just yet."

"It was Punk." Randy said sharply as he started up the car. His temper refused to hear this as an answer.

Cody was confused. "What was Punk?"

"John cheated on me with Punk." Randy answered. He had his eyes completely focused on the road and not on his best friend. If he had, he would have seen the look of hurt in the young man's eyes.

"That's nice." Cody snapped.

"Cody-"

"There's a reason Phil and I don't tell each other _who_ we've been fucking." Cody snapped. "Phil and I have been somewhat together for a little over six months and if he and John are _still_ messing around then that's almost a year!" He could feel the anger growing inside of him. "At least I know why Phil doesn't want a relationship." He truthfully didn't know why he was getting so upset over this when he didn't even want a relationship with the straight edge superstar. But the anger that rushed through his blood as he heard Randy's words pushed all rational thoughts to the side. "Why would you try and ruin something so good like that?"

Randy was absolutely speechless. He had never seen Cody act like this, not even for show and the younger man had never been spoken to like this by the younger man. He guessed it was how Cody acted after he and Ted had broken up. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well you have." Cody snapped, letting out a sigh of relief as they pulled into the arena car park. He made a quick exit of the car after the ignition had been shut off, mumbling a short "thanks for the ride" before making his way into the arena, ignoring the flashing lights of some of the more obsessive fans who had no doubt been waiting there for hours just to get his picture. He was just glad to be away from Randy at the moment.

He pushed his way through the back entrance and started his way toward the Men's locker rooms which were always situated towards the back of the arena and were always the closest to the ring. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't see where he was going as he walked straight into someone, the collision forcing him to take a few steps back. "Are you alright Cody?" The booming voice asked and Cody didn't even need to look up to know that he had just walked into John Cena.

A foolish idea struck him as he reluctantly lifted his head to look at the large, beefy mass of a man that stood in front of him, a look of concern plastered on his all-American good boy face. "Yeah, I'm fine." Cody grinned. "I was just thinking about you actually."

"PG-13 I hope?" John grinned his trademark way that made fan girls alike go crazy for him. But Cody could see the kinky glint in the corner of his blue eyes.

"Definitely not." Cody smirked. He reached his hand out and traced his index finger tip all along John's muscular forearm, the tip of his finger drawing imaginary line all the way up the bulging biceps and across the broad shoulders the older man possessed. He didn't know why he was doing this but there was something in him that compelled him to want to want to do it rather than listen to what was right. He knew he would upset two people by doing this but at this point in time, he didn't really care. He had always been physically attracted to the older man and right now the spite and anger that welled inside of him outweighed the consequences. He leant his head in close to the other man's, his stomach doing flips when he felt one of John's large hands grab at his hip, pulling his body in closer. "If you think Punk is good, wait until you've had me." He whispered into John's ear, a large grin growing across his face as he watched the other man shudder in anticipation. "Or maybe you'd be able to have both of us at the same time."

"I am going to fuck your sweet ass so hard." John almost growled as his left hand slipped from Cody's hip to grab a handful of the ample ass on offer. "I'm going to fuck you so much better than Orton."

Cody's face fell a little at the mention of his friend's name, a wave of guilt washing over him as the consequences finally became clear in his rage filled mind. "Leave Randy out of this."

"Touchy subject is it?" John teased. Cody felt the second large hand grab a hold of his ass and pull them together, their covered crotches rubbing against each other slightly making Cody let out a soft gasp. "Maybe I'll make you forget _all_ about him. I've heard I'm pretty good."

Cody leant into the touch; his mouth being drawn to John's as if they both had magnets in their lips. He let out a soft groan as their lips connected, both sets of blue eyes closing as they moulded into each other. He felt John's tongue swiping at his bottom lip and gladly opened for the thick muscle that was trying to invade his mouth. Their tongues met in battle for dominance as Cody fell into his usual submissive role and allowed the older man to have his way with his mouth. The kiss while undeniably arousing lacked the usual chemistry that Cody often encountered with his previous sexual partners and boyfriends. He knew exactly why this was immediately and that same feeling of guilt returned.

Cody pulled back abruptly from the kiss, opening his baby blue eyes and watched as the older man opened his own blue eyes with a winning smile. Seeing the look of excitement in John's eyes instantly made Cody feel even more like a piece of crap. In a split second decision out of a stupid fight he'd had with Randy, he had managed to seduce his best friend's ex and while he had had a crush on John for _many_ years, even to the point of having a few not so innocent dreams involving the older man, there was still that annoying guilty part of his conscience that made his stomach churn. He knew he wasn't going to be able to get out of this situation easily.

"Everything alright, Codes?" John's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yeah." Cody smiled. "I'll see you later tonight."

John returned the smiled. "Just remember to text me your room number." He leant in and whispered into Cody's ear, "Just you tonight, no Punk."

Cody blushed. "I'd better come to your room then."

"See ya!" John beamed as he pressed a soft peck to Cody's cheek before walking away, leaving the younger man flushed and only being held up by the wall behind him.

Cody smiled a little. His skin was still warm from where John's large hands had been grabbing him, his lips tingled from where John's were pressed to his mere moments ago and he knew that he was definitely still blushing. He glanced around the corridor, very glad that there was no one around to see the unusual scene that unfolded. He p8icked up his back pack that had slipped from his shoulders and threw it back over as he headed towards where he knew the Men's locker room would be.

"I didn't take you for a Cena fan Cody." He heard the familiar Southern drawl from behind him. He felt his whole body tense when he felt the man place a firm hand on his shoulder. "Especially after that he did to Randy."

"Do you live to annoy me Ted?" Cody snapped, pushing his ex's hand off his shoulder.

"I'm not annoying you." Ted said sharply. "It's not my fault you can't handle the truth."

Cody rolled his eyes and kept walking. He knew better than to be baited into a stupid argument with Ted.

"What about Punk?" Ted pressed as he caught up with Cody. "I'm sure your boyfriend would have a problem with you seducing other men behind his back."

"He's not my boyfriend." Cody answered simply, walking just that little bit faster to get to the locker room.

"That makes you a whore for sleeping with all those men, you know." Ted stated, trying so hard to get a reaction from his ex.

"That's not really your problem, now is it?" Cody turned to smile ever so slightly at  
Ted, who looked far from amused. He glanced ahead and accelerated slightly when he saw the door he was looking for. "Just leave me alone." He added as a last word before pushing the cream door open and entering the large room that contained his co-workers, most of whom were half-naked and getting ready for the show.

He heard the door slam shut behind him and heard the dull echo of feet walking past him as he dropped his bag onto the wooden bench below him, giving a nod of acknowledgement to Drew McIntyre who was standing beside him trying to pull his skin tight black pants on.

""Hey Mike, guess who I just walked past making out with John Cena?!" Ted all but announced to the locker room. Most of the men looked quite interested in this delicious piece of gossip.

"And who would that be?" Mike grinned in the annoying way that he always did.

Cody looked up at Ted his blue eyes shot the best pleading puppy dog look he could muster up. His hopes were dashed when Ted's handsome face curled into an ugly smirk. He knew it was over now.

"Oh, just Cody Rhodes." Ted grinned wickedly at his ex.

In that instant, Cody felt all sets of the twenty plus men in the room's eyes looking at him, watching his every move to see his reaction. He tried to remain as calm and collected as he could as he bent down to his bag and pulled out his trunks and bath towel before he headed to the showers. He fought the urge to speak to either Ted or Mike, who he could hear sniggering as he walked past them. And he definitely didn't look at Randy to see his reaction.

If Cody did turn to look at Randy then he would have seen the look of hurt and betrayal in the Viper's eyes. He would have seen the way the Viper tensed at Ted's words and he would have seen Randy storm out of the locker room if he'd only looked. If he had looked then maybe he would have realized that he had shattered the heart of an already broken man.

TBC.

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay, my computer died and I literally had to write this chapter with pen and paper (lol). But it's getting fixed so the next update should be sooner. Thanks for all the reviews and to everyone who reads it. GatesVengeance x


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

**Rating: **M for language, sexual themes.

**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John

**Summary: **Sequel to _'I Could Be The One'_. After their rendezvous, Cody can't stop thinking about Randy and Randy can't stop thinking about Cody. But both men soon find out that it's not just as easy as being together.

**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

The final SmackDown before Wrestlemania went off without a hitch and even though there were only two televised matches on the two hour program, Cody was sure he impressed with his in-ring ability even if it was in a stupid one-on-one match against Tensai to add fuel to the fire of their rivalry. He was on his way back to the locker room casually chatting away with his current tag team partner Damien Sandow while the Bella Twins strutted a few steps in front of them. A door to the left of him opened abruptly and Cody turned to see Randy stepping out of the Chief Operating Officer's make-shift office at the arena. He felt his feet stop of their own accord as he watched Randy walk away from Paul Levesque after receiving a hard clap on the shoulder from the older man. He found it impossible to drag his eyes away from the way that Randy was hunched as he left the arena, his gaze looking anywhere but at Cody.

"Randy!" Cody called out his voice squeaking with desperation as he took a few steps towards his former mentor only to be stopped by the COO himself. He struggled desperately against the hand that was pressed against his chest, halting his movements immediately. "What are you doing? Let me through!" He struggled against the large hand but couldn't even budge the older man an inch.

"Just leave him alone Runnels." Paul said calmly although his eyes were narrowed almost into slits. "You are the last person he wants to see right now."

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Cody tried to protest, his voice rising in volume as he spoke.

Paul looked around at the small crowd of nosey observers they had gathered with their little confrontation. "Get in my office now!" He hissed lowly at the younger man.

"No! If you have something to say, do it out here!" Cody said defiantly as he was now aware of their audience.

Paul let out a frustrated sigh before dropping the volume of his voice even more. "If you do not get in my office by the count of three, I will drag you in there myself." He threatened, a small smirk curling across his lips as he watched Cody's eyes widen in horror. "One…Two…Three." He paused a moment before reaching down with one hand, his long digits wrapping around Cody's right bicep. He dragged the younger man the short distance towards his office before letting go and shoving Cody roughly inside. He looked at the group of bystanders, shooting them all a malicious glare before storming into his make-shift office where he let the door slam loudly behind him.

Cody jumped as the door shut obscenely behind him. He gulped audibly as he watched Paul stroll across the office and take a seat on the huge, black leather chair behind the equally large pine desk. The look that Paul had in his eyes was as if his alter ego Triple H was standing in front of Cody and was about to challenge him for a title but was definitely not one he'd seen on the older man when he was just doing his day to day work. This terrified him immensely.

"Sit, please." Paul smiled at him which was an obvious attempt to be friendly but the cold look in his eyes made it very difficult for Cody to believe it. He looked at the large hand that was gesturing him to take in a seat in the only other seat in the room, a strange anxious feeling almost overwhelming him.

Cody cautiously slid onto the other chair. He took a deep breath. "Look, Paul-"

"No, _you_ look Cody." Paul cut in sharply. "If I ever, and I mean _ever_, ask you to do something in the future, you do it without argument. Do you understand me?"

Cody nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good." Paul spoke calmly. "Now, the _real_ reason I wanted to speak to you was about Randy." He paused briefly, taking a good moment to think about his words. "I know it's none of my god damn business but when I see one of my friends _that_ upset, I have to do something about it."

"It's not really your problem though." Cody said quietly. "It's between Randy and me. It actually has _nothing_ to do with you."

Paul's eyes narrowed slightly. "Randy is like a little brother to me and I don't like to see him like this." He paused. "Do you even like him or are you just leading him on?"

Cody didn't answer the question his future boss asked him as a deathly quiet silence enveloped the small room. He didn't answer the question because he didn't know the answer himself and he was certainly not going to say something he didn't mean or something he might regret later on. He couldn't lie that he liked Randy but he also really liked Phil which only made him more confused. Instead he shifted uncomfortably in his chair and dropped his eyes contact with the older man, instead picking at his nails. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this situation but he just wanted it over and done already.

"Oh, I see it all now." Paul said quietly, causing Cody to lift his gaze to look at the older man in an inquisitive way. "I think you do like him."

Cody moved around in his seat a little bit. "I never said that."

"You didn't need to. I can see it." Paul replied simply, a small smile growing on his lips.

"Maybe I do but I've probably ruined it now." Cody lamented.

"No one said you have to sleep with John." Paul tried to console him.

Cody's eyes went wide at the words, his mouth gaping open. "But-"

"Randy told me obviously." Paul cut in. "John gets more ass than a toilet seat so one man turning him down isn't exactly going to bother him."

"Maybe I like him too." Cody said quietly.

"If you sleep with him, your friendship and any future relationship with Randy won't exist." Paul responded. "This is so strange talking about all this stuff." He laughed. "I wonder if Vince ever had to deal with any of this."

Cody laughed, the awkwardness in the room lifting slightly. "I'm sure he'd be more awkward dealing with it than you have been." He stood up from his chair and watched as the cerebral assassin did the same. "Thanks?" He offered with a meek smile on his lips.

Paul crossed the small gap towards the door and opened it for the younger man. He looked at Cody carefully for a moment, regarded his movements carefully. "Just think about your actions a little better next time."

"Yes sir." Cody said automatically about to step out of the room, groaning when he saw Ted watching the interaction carefully.

"Keep walking DiBiase." Paul snapped at him, grinning when he watched the other man promptly walk away. "Just think about what I said Cody and I mean _think carefully_ about it."

Cody nodded as he waved off the older man before heading on what was his original destination towards the men's locker room. He weaved through the corridors easily making his way to the locker rooms. He reached the familiar cream door and pushed through surprised to see that there was still many of his co- workers still waiting around. He was relieved when he saw Damien was still there and immediately walked over to him.

The older man looked up as he saw him approaching a kind smile on his bearded face. "Everything okay Cody?"

Cody knew exactly what Damien was referring to and returned the smile. He trusted his current tag team partner completely; a firm friendship forming between them as soon as they were introduced and while he had no problem whatsoever telling him what had just transpired he much preferred to wait until they were in a more private vicinity. Sometimes Men could be worse than Women when it came to gossiping.

"I'll tell you later." He said after a moment, realising all the eyes and ears that were on him at that moment. "Hey, any chance I could bum a lift with you back to the hotel? Mine left without me."

"Of course." Damien answered immediately. "But if you could please have a shower before we depart."

Cody laughed. "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go."

Damien nodded at him, busying himself with his bag as he packed away his ring gear. Cody walked over to the other side of the locker room to his own bag, ignoring the questioning look that McIntyre was shooting him as he reached into the black back pack and fished out the clothes he arrived in and his bath towel. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his phone and picked it up for a moment, checking if he had any notifications.

His heart raced as he saw he had three new messages. He slid his thumb across the bottom of the screen and punched in his code before opening the messages. He saw that they were all from John and felt his cheeks flush with colour when he read and saw exactly what was inside the messages. Two of the messages were so descriptive in what the older man had planned for their evening that it caused his cock to stir from inside his trunks. The third message was a picture message and a beautiful sight it was. The picture was a close up of John's torso, his ripped abdomen on display as well as his hip bones that were poking out of his Royal Blue boxer shorts. He could only see the top half of the boxer shorts in the picture but he could see a definitive outline of the older man's cock which made his heart beat faster and his mouth salivate.

He sent back a quick _'see you soon ;)'_ text before dropping the phone back into his bag. He walked towards the shower cubicles and it wasn't until he was under the hot spray that Paul's words of warning echoed through his ears. He felt the pang of guilt right in the pit of his stomach as he lathered up his body wash and scrubbed every part of his body. He still had time to back out of this. He could text John and say he had a headache but there was another part of him that so desperately wanted this evening with John to happen.

He bent down to pick up his shampoo and lathered it on his head and through his short hair. His fingers rubbed across his scalp as his head waged a war against his inner thoughts. He didn't want to hurt Randy in any way shape or form by messing around with John but there was another side of him that wanted to be selfish. For years he had been the dutiful housewife with Ted, giving up his own happiness for the sake of his man and it was only recently that he realised that he _could_ do something for himself. He hoped that that _something_ would be John but he also knew his conscience would never allow it.

He bent down to pick up his conditioner when he thought about the man he was currently sharing a bed with. He had almost forgotten Phil in his little equation. He had almost forgotten that Randy had told him earlier about John and Phil's alleged dalliances and that it was the thing that pushed him to seduce John in the first place. He had been around John and Phil when they were together and while they seemed like they had quite a close friendship, he had never picked up on anything sexual between them. But he had also never picked up on anything going on between Mike and Ted until he walked in on the two of them together in a compromising position. Maybe his instincts weren't as good as they used to be.

He often wondered if there was someone else that Phil was involved with, given that they had yet to make their relationship exclusive and it would make perfect sense if he and John were involved. It would answer all of his questions and doubts about his current situation with the older man. He rinsed out his conditioner, realising that he didn't really want to hurt Phil either. It was like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He shut off the water and reached for his towel that was slung over the door. He dried himself of the excess water on his toned body before getting changed back into the clothes he had entered the arena wearing. He made his way back towards his bag and threw his articles of clothing back inside. He looked over and saw Damien watching him.

"You were _six_ minutes." He stated firmly, smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

Cody picked up his back pack and slung it over his shoulder, watching as his friend stood up and they left the locker room and arena together, a light banter passing between them. It wasn't until they reached Damien's rental car that Cody finally said something of significance. "Paul wanted to talk to me about Randy." He said simply.

Damien's eyebrows rose slightly. "Why is it any of his business?"

Cody shrugged. "It's not but he feels he has to get involved in Randy's life. Even though it was meant to be about John and I."

"So the rumours were true then?" Damien laughed as he started up the car. "I thought you had higher standards than that."

Cody snorted. "Yeah 'cause Justin Gabriel is a Saint."

Damien's cheeks flushed. "_That_ was a one-time occurrence!"

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Cody quipped, watching his friend's face darken slightly with colour. "'Cause I've seen him leave your room more than once."

"Maybe there is something more to the story." Damien responded vaguely.

For the remainder of the short car ride from the arena to the hotel, Cody continued trying to get more information from his friend about his budding relationship, extracting more and more information with each question. It wasn't until Damien pulled into a car space and put the car into 'park' that the conversation was turned back onto the younger man. And that was when his guilt kicked back in.

"Are you still going to see John?" Damien asked, turning off the ignition and turning to look at Cody.

"This is the first selfish thing I have ever done." Cody said quietly. "But it doesn't feel right."

Damien placed a hand onto Cody's shoulder. "No one said you _still _have to have sex with him."

"I am no cocktease." Cody said defiantly making Damien laugh.

The pair exited the car and walked into the lobby, making their way directly towards the elevators thankful that there were no fans lurking around for them. The entered the small box and bid each other good bye as Damien exited a level before Cody's. He took a deep breath as the doors closed shut and the elevator started moving again only for a moment before it stopped on the level that Cody was after.

He stepped out of the lift and walked down the silent corridor towards his destination. He stopped out the front of room number 623 and let out the deep breath he was holding. He raised his right hand to the door, adjusting his back pack slightly as he knocked sharply three times on the hard wooden door. He shifted on his feet nervously before the door was opened by the man he was going to see.

There was a large grin that spread across John's lips as he saw Cody standing not three feet in front of him. He reached out and grabbed onto Cody's wrist and sharply pulled him inside the hotel room, letting the door shut with a slam as Cody was pushed harshly up against it. Cody let out a grunt as he felt John's hard body pressed against him, the older man's erection digging into his flaccid one.

One of John's large hands reached around the back of him and grabbed at his ass as his hips ground into him. The other hand reached up and tilted Cody's chin upwards and towards his mouth. Despite what was going through Cody's mind, he found himself unable to stop the older man as their lips connected for the second time that day. Cody's eyes slid shut and a moan left his lips as John's tongue swiped at his bottom lip and slid inside of his mouth. He felt his cock harden slightly as he imagined another way John's tongue could be used to bring pleasure to his body.

His hands gripped at John's broad shoulders, his finger nails digging into the muscles and pulling the body closer to his own as their kiss continued in a one side battle for dominance that Cody was more than happy to lay down and submit. All thoughts of Randy and Phil disappeared the more Cody lost himself in the intensely passionate kiss with John. He let out a moan and bucked his hips up into John's as he felt the older man retract his mouth from Cody's and instead move to his neck.

"Oh, fuck John." Cody moaned, hand moving from those broad muscular shoulder to wrap around the back of John's head and hold him close to his neck.

John pulled back from the younger man's neck and smirked, taking in the visual of the attractive man that was pinned against the back of the door, lips parted and panting slightly. He pulled Cody away and pushed him towards the bed, watching as his legs hit the side of the bed and he landed on his back.

Cody looked up at the older man and saw the predatory glint in his eyes and it was then that his conscience kicked in. He still didn't feel right but the way that John was approaching him, he felt like he almost didn't have a choice. He knew he had to go through with it now.

TBC.

**A/N:** thanks for reading and reviewing everyone. It's all appreciated :) GatesVengeance x


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**  
**Rating: **M for language, sexual themes.  
**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John  
**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

Cody propped himself up on his elbows as he watched John stalk over to him, his normally pale blue eyes glazed over with lust, his pupils grew wider with each step he took. Cody could feel his heart beat start to get faster as he watched the arousing sight in front of him. He would be telling the world's largest lie if he said he didn't find John attractive, hell it would be a lie if he said that _most_ if not all of his co-workers found the popular wrestler a sight for sore eyes. He licked at his bottom lip as John stopped right in front of him, his long arms stretching out and running his thin digits across the superficial looking six-pack in front of him.

He let out a soft moan as his fingers dipped through the defined muscle, finger tips tracing across those hip bones before hooking into either side of the royal blue boxer shorts. He pulled his lower lip into his mouth with his teeth as he slowly and carefully pulled down the satin shorts to reveal what had been a staple of his wet dreams for years now. He sucked in a hard breath as all of John's thick, throbbing cock was revealed. He glanced up at the older man who had a smirk on his lips that almost curled into a grin.

"Come on, baby." John groaned out softly, his large right hand reaching up and wrapping around the back of Cody's head, sliding through his short wet hair. "I know you want to."

Cody tentatively reached his right hand out and wrapped it around the base of John's thick cock, fingers curling around the thick piece of meat before he started to pump slowly, his eye contact never breaking with the older man as he continued stroking. He heard John let out a groan and felt as John pushed his head forward, an action that Cody normally would have felt alright with but made him feel odd. He snapped his head away from John's large hand and grinned at the older man. "I don't give it up just like that."

"And what do I have to do to feel those lips around me?" John shot back, his hips bucking up into Cody's firm touch.

Cody stood up and pressed his lips back against the older man, a startled gasp leaving John's mouth wide open for Cody to plunge his tongue inside. He felt his eyes close as he leant more into the kiss. He tasted so clean and almost minty, not like Randy. Randy tasted like cigarettes and just so dirty but so damn good. It was in that moment as he felt John's hand reaching into his jeans, pushing through his cotton briefs that he was making a terrible mistake.

Cody pulled back from the kiss instantly, the older man's eyes opening in surprise. "John." He panted slightly. "I-I don't think I can do this."

John's head jerked back instantly, his normally happy face changed to one of anger. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I'm really sorry, I just can't do this. At least not tonight." Cody said quietly, pulling his hand reluctantly off of John's cock.

"But you were the one who came on to me!" John raged, removing his own hand from inside of Cody's pants. He took a deep breath. "I've waited so long for this night. I thought I'd never get the chance to do _you_."

Cody didn't say anything. He didn't need to when the reason was written all over his face.  
"Just go to Orton." John snapped, pulling his boxer shorts back up. "Just get out."  
Cody quickly pulled his pants back up, zipping up his jeans and bending down to pick up his back pack, chancing one last glance at John who looked more than a little upset. He pulled a soft smile before leaving the hotel room, hearing the door close with a soft snap. If he was being honest, he did feel bad for leading John on the way that he did but he felt significantly worse about hurting Randy and possibly Phil. He looked around the hotel corridor and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no one hanging around. He looked both ways, both of his choices on either side.

If he walked to the left, he would end up out the front of his and Phil's hotel room. He knew he'd have a lot of explaining to do to the older man as he had no doubt that the gossip that hung around the locker rooms would have reached the straight-edge superstar's ears by now. He wouldn't be surprised if Phil had taken up with another suitor in the few hours that they were apart. Although he didn't want to walk in on that scene either.

If he walked to the right, he would end up out of the front of Randy's hotel room which terrified him more. He didn't know if he could bear to see his best friend upset like that again and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle seeing Randy with another man inside his hotel room if that's what the older man had decided he was going to do to enact his revenge. He was so confused.  
He ended up going to the left more out of safety rather than anything. It only took a few minutes before he reached his own hotel room. He fumbled around in his back pocket, cursing softly as he realised that he didn't have the spare key card. He raised his right hand and knocked on the door three times. He only had to wait a few moments before the door was opened by the older man.

But the sight that greeted him was something he wished he could have never seen.

"I thought you'd still be with _John_." Phil snapped, arms folding across his bare chest.

Cody opened his mouth to respond just as he saw Drew McIntyre lift his head up from the bed. "Are you fucking _serious?_" He fumed. "In _my_ bed?"

"It's not your bed anymore." Phil said sharply. "You crossed a line when you went after my best friend. Consider _this_" He gestured between the two of them as he spoke "to be over."

"What? No!" Cody tried to protest, his heart beating faster and faster as he felt his eyes well up with tears. He didn't think he could get so emotional over something that wasn't supposed to be serious.

"After Wrestlemania, I am taking some time off. Sort yourself out but don't bother trying to win me back." Phil snapped at him. "You can pick your shit up in the morning." He added before slamming the door in his face.

Cody took a few steps back, his heart beating so fast, the tears threatening to escape from his baby blue eyes as he all but ran back down the other way of the hotel, heading towards the room he knew he should have went to first. It only took a few minutes before he found himself out the front of the former 'Legend Killer's' hotel room. He took a shaky breath in before raising his hand up to the door and knocked sharply three times.

He didn't have to wait too long before the door was opened by the older man. "Cody." Randy said shortly, taking in the appearance of the younger man. "What's wrong?"

"Phil, h-he broke up with me." Cody all but wailed. He tried to push past his best friend but found he couldn't get through. "Let me in Rand."

"Sorry Cody, I have company." Randy spoke quietly, his eye contact dropping from the younger man's.

"Who? Who is in there?!" Cody demanded. He watched as the bright orange hair of Sheamus appeared as the large man quickly scurried across the room. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" He whined.

"Go back to John if you want comfort." Randy said coldly, slamming the door in Cody's face.  
Cody felt his bottom lip quiver slightly as the tears threatened to spill out from his eyes. He took in a deep breath and made the decision to head down to the hotel bar and have a few drinks and maybe, just maybe, throw himself into bed with someone else. He stepped into the elevator and pushed the ground level button, only waiting a few moments before he heard the ding that indicated his arrival. He quickly left the lift and headed towards the hotel bar.

His eyes perked up when he saw John sitting there, by himself just staring into his drink. He slowly approached and took a seat next to the future WWE champion. John looked up at him and offered him a numb smile. "I don't really want to see you right now, you know." He said quietly.

"I know you don't." Cody said quietly. "I am the most selfish asshole for leading you on like that. And I only did it because I found out you were fucking my boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend now."

"You pursued me because you were jealous?" John asked almost incredulously although there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

"That and I've had a secret crush on you for years." Cody said with a slight smile. "I've had some pretty embarrassing dreams involving you Cena."

"And just think your dreams could have become reality if you shut off your conscience for a moment." John said mildly, taking a sip of his beer.

"What'd you mean when you said you thought you'd never get the chance to do me?" Cody asked as he ordered his own alcoholic beverage.

John shrugged. "Well I'm sure you realise just how attractive you are."

Cody laughed. "Who hasn't?"

John rolled his eyes. "I just meant that I noticed you right from the start and always wondered just how it could be. But I had Randy and you had Ted." He stopped for a moment. "When you and Ted broke up, I tried to get your attention but you obviously didn't notice and that stopped when you got with Punk. I knew he _really_ liked you and I couldn't do it to him."

Cody took a long drink from his glass taking in all the information he had just been told. "This is too much." He spoke quietly.

"I didn't mean to put you on the spot like this." John said quickly. "And I'm certainly not encouraging you to jump into bed with me, although I would enjoy that very much."

"I don't know what I want or who I want." Cody said quietly more to himself than anything.

"Until you make _that _choice, if you want a friend with a little bit more, you know where to find me." John said with a sly grin.

"I somehow don't think that would be such a good idea." Cody said quickly, looking at the older man for a moment.

John laughed, standing up from his bar stool and pulling out a few bills from his wallet. He threw them on the counter. "Here, have a drink on me." He said casually as he placed his wallet back in his back pocket. "And if you are feeling a little bit rambunctious later on, remember its room 617." He leant down to whisper into Cody's ear before leaving the small hotel bar.

Cody waved off the older man and turned his attention back to his drink. He looked at the small glass of Jack Daniel's and coke and swirled it around slightly, watching the ice move around. Not even two weeks ago, his life had been simple. He had never had to deal with all this stupid drama regarding boys. He only had Phil to worry about except for the occasional on the side he had indulged in when they first started seeing each other.

And then he ruined their delicate balance by introducing Randy into the equation. The whole idea behind his madness was to show the older man a good time and try to get him out of his funk he'd been in. But the plan backfired when he realized that his former mentor meant a whole lot more to him then he originally anticipated especially when Randy pushed the barrier of their fling, forcing him to rethink his actions and rethink his relationship.

He knew he shouldn't have pushed the issue further with John but the temptation was far too great and he felt reckless. And now it was too far gone and too late to fix anything, he sighed into his drink. He could forget about the other two and pursue a relationship with the Cenation leader but not when his heart still yearned for Randy.

He ordered another drink ready to drown his sorrows and concerns completely unaware that someone was waiting to strike.

TBC.

**A/N:** thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I'll update as soon as humanly possible. GatesVengeance x


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

**Rating: M for language, sexual themes.**

**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John

**Summary: **Sequel to _'I Could Be The One'_. After their rendezvous, Cody can't stop thinking about Randy and Randy can't stop thinking about Cody. But both men soon find out that it's not just as easy as being together.

**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

Cody took a deep breath as he looked into his drink. He swirled around the dark brown contents in the bottom of the glass, watching as the ice cubes that were once large melted into water and combined with the last of his drink. He had been sitting at the hotel bar for a while now, drinking away his thoughts of sadness and stupidity although the alcohol was doing nothing to numb the pain that had both in his head and in his heart. He lifted the almost empty glass up to his full lips and drained the last of the contents before placing it back onto the table in front of him.

He glanced around the hotel bar, noticing that for once there was none of his coworkers around. Well none that were in his direct line of vision at least as there was one of his fellow wrestlers that was lurking almost around the corner, their sight locked firmly on their prey. Cody was completely unaware of the man that was lurking in the corner behind him as he ordered yet another Jack Daniel's and Coke. He took another sip from the small glass as he used his other hand to pull his iPhone from his back pocket.

He unlocked the screen and was more than a little upset over the fact that he had _no _new messages which was a rarity in itself. He scrolled through his contacts before finally settling on John's name, opening up his conversation with the older man and starting what he was sure he knew deep down was a very bad idea but his judgment fell out the window with each new sip of his drink.

He was so focused on his drink and his phone that he didn't notice the movement from behind him. It was only when he felt a strong hand clap him on the shoulder that he looked around, his blue eyes widening as he looked at the man who normally only stood a few inches taller than him but from his seated position the man looked gigantic.

"Randy?" Cody almost spluttered, locking his phone and putting his drink down on the table in front of him.

Randy smirked at how nervous the younger man suddenly was. "The one and only."

"I thought you'd be with Sheamus still?" Cody said quietly as Randy took a seat next to him.

Randy sighed. "Sheamus is just my friend Code."

"Didn't look like it." Cody mumbled as he took another sip of his drink.

"Now look whose the jealous one." Randy mused as he took a seat on the vacant bar stool next to the younger man and uttered his order to the waiting bartender but held his hand up when Cody made a move to order another. "I think you've had enough tonight Cody." He said quietly, trying to remain stern even though the harsh look of death that was shot his way was beyond hilarious. "I'm serious, you don't want to do something you'll regret."

"What, like you?" Cody said quickly before realizing exactly what he had just said. He lifted his hand to his mouth after a soft gasp escaped his lips. "Oh Ran, I didn't mean it like that!"

Randy merely rolled his eyes. "Well then how did you mean it?"

"Not like that." Cody said quietly, his eyes watching as the bartender brought back Randy's drink order and placing it on the counter in front of the older man. Cody quickly snatched it and drained almost the entire glass before Randy snatched it off him.

"I thought I told you no more." Randy said quietly, moving the glass out of the younger man's reach.

"I'm only drinking to forget." Cody said in a voice so quiet that Randy had to strain his ears just to barely hear the few words.

Randy looked curiously at the younger man who had dropped his beautiful blue eyes from his own and had instead focused on the coaster on the counter. He watched as Cody's long fingers picked at the slightly frayed edges but refused to look up at him. "Forget what exactly?"

Cody sighed. "Forget about how I fucked everything up with my own selfishness." He took a deep breath. "I ruined what I had with Phil for a stupid one night stand with John and then I ruined what I could have had with you because of that stupid mistake."

"Did you have sex with John?" Randy asked sharply.

Cody turned to look at his former mentor, the deep look of hurt in his eyes was very visible and it made him feel guilty when he shouldn't. "No I didn't have sex with John 'cause all I could think about was you."

Randy did something spontaneously that he knew he shouldn't especially since they were in public but he could not resist as he reached over and grabbed the back of Cody's head and pressed their lips together in a desperate, rushed kiss. They pulled apart from the kiss and Randy could see Cody's eyes widen with shock and confusion as well as excitement that made his lips curl into a charming smile.

"What was that for?" Cody asked, still surprised by the occurrence.

"I dunno." Randy shrugged. "Maybe 'cause you chose me over John."

"John was an opportunity that probably could have made my career something worthwhile but you're one of my best friend Randy." Cody said with a slight smile. "Like the saying goes 'Chicks before Dicks'...oh hang on, no, that's not right."

Randy merely laughed at his friend. It was a genuine laugh that he had not had in a while now but Cody had always been able to make him laugh no matter the situation. He placed a reassuring hand on Cody's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "I get what you're trying to say and that's what matters."

Cody smiled back at the older man. "Hey, I know that this might be pushing it but I kinda don't have anywhere to stay tonight. Would it be alright if I stayed with you?"

"You didn't even need to ask Cody." Randy said quietly. "It's getting late. We should get back to the room."

Cody nodded and watched the way that Randy finished his drink and couldn't help but lick his lips as he watched the older man _swallow_down the last remaining drops. It made his groin twitch suddenly and he had to readjust himself subtly so he didn't raise any concerns. He followed the older man out of the hotel bar and towards the lifts completely unaware and oblivious to the fact that someone else had been watching them the entire time.

The pair stood in silence on the short trip up to Randy's room but both men didn't seem to mind the quiet atmosphere. Randy led the way down the quiet corridor towards his room while Cody trailed a few steps behind him. Cody was keenly watching the floor, focusing on the red and black diamonds on the itchy carpet rather than watching where his feet were going and as a result he managed to walk straight into his older friend, his crotch connecting with Randy's ass making him let out an involuntary moan. His arms moved on their accord as they wrapped around Randy's waist while his face pressed between the older man's shoulder blades.

"You smell good." Cody mumbled as he tightened his arms.

Randy allowed a small smile to creep across his face as he slipped the card into the small slot and opened the door once the green light came on. He stepped through the door and couldn't resist laughing as Cody stumbled in behind him. "Maybe you were drunker then I thought." He mused as the door slammed shut. "Come on, you need to get to bed mister."

Randy managed to untangle himself from Cody's warm arms enough to pull the younger man towards the bed. Unfortunately for him, Cody had other plans and instead of allowing himself to be pushed back down on the bed, he maneuvered himself so that he pushed Randy onto the bed and straddled the older man's thighs. He looked down at his friend who looked confused and a little excited. "Hey." Cody grinned down as he moved their crotches so they were touching. He ground down just a little relishing in the way that Randy's hips bucked back up into his.

Randy's hands moved to grab at the slender hips above him and pulled them impossibly closer to his own body. "Get down here." He growled watching as Cody smirked at him. "C'mon, let me kiss those lips of yours."

Cody slid his body down ever so slightly, placing his hands on either side of Randy's head as he lowered the rest of his body so that they were now chest to chest, nose to nose. He hesitated a moment before letting his eyes slide shut and pressing their lips together once more. He tilted his head slightly and immediately opened his mouth to Randy's invading tongue, giving the older man ultimate power over his mouth. The two tongues entwined together, sliding and lapping against each other as their lips moulded into one.

One of Randy's hands moved from Cody's hip to wrap around the base of the younger man's neck to pull their heads even closer together. The other hand on Cody's hip moved lower, grabbing a handful of the ass that he wanted to be inside of. He couldn't help but smirk when he heard Cody's sinful moan as he felt Randy's hand on his ass.

Randy pulled back from the kiss first, opening his blue eyes and looking into Cody's, a small smile on his face as he saw Cody's lips swollen from kissing and panting slightly. His hips bucked up into Cody's automatically making both men groan at the contact of their clothed erections rubbing against each other.

"Before we do this, you have to be one-hundred-percent sure that this is what you want because I'm not looking for friends with benefits." Randy said almost sternly. "I want all of you Cody not just the side."

Cody hesitated for a moment as his heart beat increased. He'd had plenty of time to actually think about this decision but instead of _actually thinking_ about it he had been off chasing boys. But there was something about Randy that always made him feel safe and never made him question the older man's actions, something that he lacked in his previous relationships. Cody took a deep breath before he answered simply, "This is what I want."

"I am so glad you said that." Randy grinned as he used his strength to roll over the younger man so that he was between Cody's legs. He sat back on his knees and looked down at Cody below him and admired the sight. "I hope you're ready for what I have to give you."

Cody sat up slightly and reached his hands out to tug at the plain black tee that Randy had pulled on after the show a grin on his lips. "I hope you can handle what I have to give." He sat all the way up, ignoring the way his head spun from the amount of alcohol he had consumed that evening, as he pulled the thin t-shirt off the beautiful tanned and tattooed body that was hiding underneath. He threw the t-shirt off to the side of the room as his hands moved down and started undoing the equally tight black jeans. He quickly undid the button and fly before he yanked the denim along with Randy's briefs to his knees before he was stopped by the fact that Randy was kneeling. "Take 'em off."

"Only if you take yours off." Randy countered although he moved to stand next to the bed, pushing his jeans and underpants down to his ankles where he kicked them off along with his shoes and socks.

Cody quickly pulled off his plain white t-shirt and threw it somewhere across the room before he moved off the bed and stood in front of Randy. His fingers traced down his body, dancing across his defined abdomen before stopping at his own jeans. His eyes locked with Randy's as he made short work of undoing his jeans. His eyes dropped for a moment as saw Randy's hand wrap around his cock and jerk himself slowly at the display in front of him. The action alone made Cody's confidence go through the roof as he pulled down his jeans and underpants, kicking them off along with his shoes and socks once they hit his ankles.

Once he was completely naked Cody then dropped to his knees in front of Randy, a devilish smirk creeping across his face as he wrapped his hand around the base of the thick cock on display. He leant forward and traced his tongue around the swollen purple head, a grin growing across his face as he heard the loud moan come from the other man. He moved his lips forward and wrapped his lips around the head, sucking for a moment before he pushed his mouth all the way down, his lips meeting his hand as he deep throated the cock on offer.

"Oh fuck Cody." Randy groaned loudly. He moved one of his hands to rest on the back of Cody's head and let it rest there, guiding it as he felt Cody's mouth move up and down at a slow and torturous pace that made him just want to grab Cody's head and thrust as hard as he could into it. "Faster baby, c'mon."

Cody grinned as he heard the whine that left Randy's mouth. He didn't usually like topping in sex but he certainly liked having all the control in _other_ sexual ways. He started moving just a little bit faster, the tip hitting the back of his throat causing him to grunt each time as he got more and more accustomed to the girth and size of the cock on offer. He removed his hand from the base of Randy's cock to fondle the heavy balls underneath.

Randy let out another loud moan as he felt Cody's skilled hands fondle his balls. He felt his eyes close and his head drop back as he let the overwhelming sensations of pleasure take over. He moved his hips slightly, thrusting in when Cody's mouth was almost at the base of his cock. He heard Cody groan at his action and did it again just to hear the noise again. He started up slowly, thrusting in just a little bit harder each time as Cody moaned just a little bit louder.

He didn't think anything could ruin this experience until he heard a sharp knock at the door.

His eyes shot open as he looked down at Cody, whose eyes were also open looking at him strangely. "I don't care if you are Vince McMahon, fuck off I am busy!" He called to the door, hoping that would be enough to deter the other person but he was wrong as he heard them knock another three times. "Fuck off!" He yelled, a little louder this time.

"I could just send this picture of you and Cody kissing to Sam." The voice yelled through the door.

Cody immediately pulled off Randy's cock and looked up at the older man. "That's Ted."

Randy groaned, bending down to pick up their clothes as they pulled them back on quickly. "Do you think he's bluffing?"

"You did kiss me down in the bar Randy." Cody said quietly as he pulled his shirt on.

Randy did up his jeans before walking over to the door. He looked through the peep hole and groaned when he saw it was indeed Ted. He reluctantly opened the door and let the other man who once made up their trio into his hotel room. "This had better be fucking good DiBiase." He snapped.

"Did I interrupt something?" Ted asked sarcastically as he looked over at Cody who completely let the cat out of the bag just by the look in his eyes and the way his lips were so swollen.

"You know you did." Randy said sharply. "What do you want?"

"I want Cody or this picture will be getting sent to your soon to be ex-wife." Ted all but beamed.

"No." Cody said quickly, folding his arms across his chest. "Now way in hell am I getting back together with you."

"You will." Ted said confidently which only made Cody's skin crawl.

"Show me this picture." Randy countered quickly.

Ted unlocked his phone and opened up the picture gallery, showing the pair the undeniable proof that it was the two of them. Randy made a move to snatch the phone out of Ted's hands only to have it moved just out of reach. "Oh I don't think so."

"There's two of us and one of you. We could overpower you and take the phone." Randy responded.

"What makes you think I haven't already sent it to someone else?" Ted smirked. "This photo will ruin your reputation Randy and will give Sam the leverage to take _everything_.I'll give you twenty four hours and then it's sent."

"Is Mike not good enough for you anymore?" Cody snapped at him.

"He's not you." Ted replied quickly before turning on his heel and leaving the two men alone in Randy's hotel room.

"What the fuck are we going to do Randy?" Cody sighed, dropping onto the bed and letting his head drop into his hands. "If I don't go with him he'll ruin you but if I do go with him he'll ruin us. This is fucked."

"I know." Randy said quietly. "We'll come up with something."

TBC.

**A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing! GatesVengeance x


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

**Rating: ****M for language, sexual themes.**

**Pairing: **Cody/Randy, Cody/Various, past Cody/Ted, past Randy/John

**Summary: **Sequel to _'I Could Be The One'_. After their rendezvous, Cody can't stop thinking about Randy and Randy can't stop thinking about Cody. But both men soon find out that it's not just as easy as being together.

**Disclaimer: **I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction. I make no profit whatsoever from this story.

Cody was sitting on the large bed in the middle of the room watching as Randy stood out on the balcony, cigarette hanging from his fingers while he leantover the iron railing. He took a deep breath and looked at the clock. It was well past midnight now and he knew that he should have been in bed asleep since he had a flight to catch in only a few hours. But after what had happened only hours before, he knew that sleep would not be occurring tonight at least not in the hotel room anyway.

He thought back to what Ted had said, what Ted had _demanded _from him. The thought of going back into bed with Ted once more made him feel physically ill. And while the scar that his ex-boyfriend had left still ran deep to the point of almost unbearable, it was a price he was willing to pay to protect Randy's reputation. He knew that the last thing he needed at a time like this was ammunition for his soon to be ex-wife to make sure she took all that she wanted and more.

He also thought about the prospect of getting into a serious relationship with Randy after his not-so serious one had ended mere hours before. And there was the issue of Randy's impending divorce to factor in. He should have known better than to get involved with married men but he had not learned after ruining Ted's own marriage and being a factor in ruining Randy's. He groaned inwardly; this was not how he expected his life at twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight. He thought he'd be happy and fulfilled not leading a life full of romantic dramas and problems. He was getting too old for this shit.

He didn't even hear when Randy came in from the balcony. He was far too lost in his almost depressing thoughts to even hear the older man calling his name, only noticing when he felt one of Randy's large hands clap him firmly on the right shoulder. "Oh, sorry." Cody mumbled, barely acknowledging his friend.

"What were you thinking about that's got you so quiet?" Randy asked carefully although he was sure he already knew the answer since those thoughts had also been on his mind for hours now.

"I don't want to give in to Ted's demands Randy." Cody let out a deep breath. "But I don't want you to get hurt either. It's not fair!"

"I know it's not." Randy said quietly. "I'm not flying to New Jersey with the rest of you guys in the morning."

Cody turned to look at Randy, eyes wide in horror. "What? Why?"

"I have to go home Cody." Randy answered simply. "I have to sort this out with Sam."

Cody nodded reluctantly. "But that doesn't fix our problem."

"Maybe we could turn Mike on him?" Randy offered.

"Mike won't turn against him ever. Not even for a WWE Championship reign." Cody answered. His eyebrows rose when he saw the way that Randy's attention peaked at his words. "What are you thinking?"

"Miz always had the _biggest_ crush on John especially during their feud." Randy started explaining. "John used to tell me everything Mike used to do to try and lure him into bed. We could try and use John to get Mike to turn against Ted."

Cody rolled his eyes. "There is no way in hell that John is going to do that. I know that as well as you do."

"Well what ideas do you have?" Randy snapped.

"I don't have any." Cody replied honestly with a shrug.

"What the fuck are we supposed to do then?" Randy asked, perhaps a little harsher then he intended.

Cody sighed. "How long does it take to finalize a divorce?"

"I was actually going to try and talk her out of it." Randy spoke quietly.

"I refuse to be involved with a married man again." Cody said sharply. "It's me or her."

Randy balked. "You cannot be fuckin'-"

"I'm deadly serious." Cody cut in. "I may have made mistakes like this with Ted in the past but the past is the past and I intend to not be another home wrecker."

"I don't want to divorce her Cody." Randy said quietly, aware of the rage that was boiling over in the younger man next to him.

"Well I don't want you to get your reputation ruined either." Cody said quickly. He lifted his hand up to his head and rubbed at his temples soothingly, trying to force the headache that was beginning to build away for the time being. "But I am not seeing any other option. We have no plan and no ideas to stop Ted from doing this." He paused for a moment and let out a deep breath. "I don't want what we have to stop but I am not seeing another option Randy; I'm going to have to go back to him."

Randy's eyes bulged wide open. "I refuse to let you get back together with the guy who broke your heart!"

"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do?!" Cody snapped more viciously than he intended. "I didn't mean to snap like that, I'm just so fucking pissed off."

Randy nodded silently. If he was honest, he didn't know _what_to say to make Cody feel better about their situation. On one side he had his wife who he loved and cared deeply about and not just because she was the mother of his pride and joy, Alanna. If not for John Cena opening his big mouth, there would have been no problem whatsoever but now he faced a looming divorce and custody battle if he was unable to talk Sam out of her decision.

On the other side he had Cody. He'd always cared deeply about the younger man, always had that little hint of chemistry that passed through them each time they spoke but both were oblivious to the spark between them until recently; only until Cody had propositioned him not too long ago. But Cody had made it crystal clear; if Randy wanted him then he would have to get a divorce. It was like he was in the middle of two children fighting over their favourite toy with both ends pulling harder and harder, trying to drag him in two completely different directions. He didn't know if he should be hurt or excited that Cody was pulling harder than his own wife.

"We should try and get some sleep Cody." Randy said quietly, gesturing the younger man who looked as though he was about the pass out at any moment into the bed with him.

Randy lay down on the bed and outstretched his arms expecting the younger man to fall onto him and they could fall asleep in each others arms, only to watch Cody throw himself to the other side of the bed and face away from Randy. It was like a stab to the heart but Randy understood completely, Cody's previous threat of "_It's me or her" _echoing in his ears as he pulled out his phone and booked his flight.

XXX

A few hours later and Cody woke up to the shrill sound of his alarm echoing through the hotel room. He slid his finger across his phone and silenced the alarm for another five minutes before rolling over and intending to snuggle into the older man whose room it actually was, only to find Randy wasn't there and neither was any of his stuff. He sat upright quickly and glanced around the whole room trying to find any sign of Randy leaving early.

He let out a sigh of relief as he found a hand written note sitting on the bedside table. He scooted across the bed to grab it, smiling as he read through the words quickly. _'Sorry I didn't wake you but you looked so peaceful sleeping. I'll call you when I land, we'll work this out. Randy x'_. The words put a bigger smile on his face than he would have liked to admit but it made him happy nonetheless.

He quickly jumped out of bed and went straight for the bathroom, relieving himself first before he jumped into the shower, turning the water on as hot as he could handle. He stood under the warm water for a while, just letting it lap at his sore body as he lathered himself up in body wash, cleansing himself of the bad feelings from the night before, even if it was for only a moment. He reached down and lathered some shampoo into in short hair, enjoying the mini head massage he gave himself.

He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he let his head droop slightly under the jets from the shower head, feeling the way the water washed out his shampoo. He lifted his head up after it was all washed out and opened his eyes slightly. He blinked a few times before he reached for the taps and turned them off, satisfied with his shower.

He dried himself off with one of the hotel's clean, white towels before he stepped back into the bedroom. He hung the towel onto the corner post of the bed and had just bent down to pull out a set of new clothes, quickly pulling his tight black pair of briefs on just as he heard his message tone go off. He climbed across the bed and grabbed his phone, opening the message, almost dropping the phone in shock as he read it.

He had to re-read it a few times to get the message to sink in and register completely. The words from Ted _'I've changed my mind, you have until 12pm today to make your decision. You might as well just get your ass into my bed now baby-boy x'_ made his stomach churn with anxiety as the situation took a turn for the worse. He and Randy hadn't come up with a plan or decision on what they were going to do which only made him feel worse and more anxious.

He quickly dialed Randy's number, groaning in disappointment when he got the message bank. He hung up and sent Randy a hurried text of _'Call me the minute you land. We have a problem.'_ He let out a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart beat as he looked at the clock, freaking out a little bit more when he realized he was running late.

He jumped off the bed and went straight back to his bag, pulling on the clothes he intended to wear. He raced around the room, gathering everything that he had left around the room as he packed up the rest of the bag. The company had organized a bus for everyone who was flying straight from Washington to New Jersey and he knew that most of the roster would be gathered down in the lobby waiting.

He looked around the room once more before he left, making his way towards the elevator which lead him straight to the lobby. He only had to wait a few moments before stepping into the small space, ignoring the gasps of the few people in there who had recognized him. The ride although short seemed to take an age before he was finally able to leave the small space, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw that his co-workers hadn't left yet.

He went straight to the desk to make sure that Randy had checked out and hand back his key, thankful that he had as he handed over the key card with one of his charming smiles that had the girl behind the desk blushing harshly. He glanced around and saw the hotel bar was open and started walking over to grab a coffee, his eyes so focused on the task that he hadn't been watching as one of his co-workers approached from behind, only noticing when they slung an arm around his shoulders.

He felt himself groan when he turned to see who had thrown their arm over his shoulders. "What do you want Ted?" He said sharply.

"You get my message this morning, _baby-boy_?" Ted smiled at him.

"Don't call me that." Cody snapped.

"But you will be soon." Ted smiled so sweetly at him. "Because I know you won't let Randy's reputation get ruined."

"You don't know shit." Cody said sharply, trying to pull away from Ted only for the older man's arm to tighten around his shoulders. "Let go of me Ted."

"Oh no baby-boy." Ted cooed at him. "Since you will be mine again soon enough."

"I don't think so." Cody snapped again, lowering his voice. "I don't know _why_ you are doing this since you broke up what we had for Miz. You were the one who called off _our_ wedding Ted for someone else and you expect me to just jump straight back into bed with you? Have you had a lobotomy and you didn't tell anyone?"

"Cody, come on baby. It's always been you." Ted tried to argue. "What I did was wrong but I'm trying to fix that. Can't you just give us another chance?"

"No." Cody said simply. "Because you didn't give us a chance." He paused for a moment. "Now get your arm off me before I break it off."

Ted didn't say another word, instead moving his arm off and walking away from Cody and back to his current squeeze that he had grown quite tired of. Although he would never admit that to Mike until he had gotten Cody back and get Cody back he will. He smiled softly at Mike before pulling out his phone and opening his photo gallery. It was well before 12pm but he didn't care.

Cody would be his again no matter what.

TBC.

**A/N:** sorry about the delay in new chapter, hectic week at work. Hope everyone liked it. Thanks again for all the reviews and everyone who read. GatesVengeance x


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